Railway signaling apparatus.



ITO-722,109. PATENTED MARIB, 1903.

H. J. JEPGOATB.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLICATION rum) NOV. 24, 1902.

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No. 722,109. PATBNTED MAR. 3, 1903.

H. J. JBPGOATE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1902.

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No. 722,109. PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903-; H. J. JEPGOATE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLIUATION rum) 30124, 1902.

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FFICE.

PATENT HENRY J. JEFCOATE, OF CREVE, ENGLAND.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 722,109, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed November 24:, 1902. Serial No. 132,644. (No model.)

T0 to whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I,HENRY JAMES J EFCOATE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Orewe, in the county of Chester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signaling apparatus, and is intended to provide in the place of or supplementary to the usual semaphore-arm or like local signal simple, reliable, and convenient means whereby a set of signaling instruments placed in the cab of an engine is controlled from a signal-cabin having charge of the section of the line in which the engine is traveling. I arrange my apparatus to give either audible or visible signals or both audible and visible signals. Thus my improved apparatus can be used with great advantage in foggy weather or in tunnels,where the signal-lights are liable to be obscured by clouds of vapor, smoke, or the like, and the employment of detonating signals can thereby be dispensed with. In clear weather myimproved apparatus acts to check or give warning of errors of observation on the part of an engine-driver as to the position of a semaphore-arm or the color of a signal-light.

In carrying my said invention into practice I provide a set of bells or the like or of indicators for conveying either audible or visible signals or a combination of bells or the like and indicators to convey both audible and visible signals, arranged in a suitable position within the cab of the engine, so that they can attract the attention of the engine-driver or can be readily observed by him whenever they are actuated for the purpose of conveying a signal or order. Each visible indicator, together with the corresponding audible indicator, is controlled by a suitable electrical circuit connected with a battery or other source of electrical energy, and each circuit includes a circuit-breaker or switch, which is normally held in the open position, but which can be closed by the movement of a plunger in a casing or by like means. Said plungers project beyond the frame of the engine and are preferably provided at their exterior ends with antifriction rollers or wheels supported slightly higher than the level of the rails forming the track, but at varying distances measured laterally from one of the said trackrails, preferably the outer rail.

In suitable positions slightly-inclined striking-bars so mounted on pivoted supports that they can be raised and lowered are arranged parallel to the track-rails and at suitable distances therefrom, so that when one or other of the said bars is raised it will lie in the path of the corresponding antifriction roller or wheel on the plunger projecting from the engine and raise said wheel, which thereupon, acting through its plunger, closes the corresponding circuit and actuates that particular member or members of the indicating instrument mounted within the cab of the engine which is included in said circuit.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of a locomotive-engine and tracks-ails, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, on a larger scale, of three plunger-casings, showing one of said plungers raised by the contact of its roller with a striking-bar. Fig. 3 is a side view in central section, and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan taken on the line X X, Fig. 3, of a plunger-casing and its appurtenant parts. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a length of track, showing an arrangement of striking-bars relatively thereto. Fig. 6 is a side view illustrating a method of coupling together the adjoining ends of two strikin g-bars.

a a a are casings which for the purposes of my invention may be conveniently mounted beneath the lowermost of the steps leading to the cab of the locomotive-engine. A plunger I), having a forked end wherein a roller 0 can be rotatably mounted, is axially movable in each casing and is constantly pressed outwardly by a spring or springs d.

Striking-bars e, mounted on links f, turning about horizontal pivots. g, so that the said bars can be raised and lowered, are arranged parallel to the track-rails h and at suitable distances therefrom measured laterally, so that when a bar eis in the raised position the said bar lies in the path of the corresponding roller 0. The upper surface of each strikingbar is slightly inclined, so that the roller 0 when it comes in contact with the bar will roll along it and be raised gradually, thus press- ICO ing the plunger into the cylinder against the action of the spring d.

The raising or lowering of the striking-bars 6 can be effected in any convenient mannerfor example, by means similar to those at present employed for raising or lowering semaphore-arms, such arrangements being controlled by existing levers arranged in a signal-cabin.

In order to reduce the friction opposing the movement of the plunger b in the casing a, tapped holes are formed in the casing-wall in convenient situations, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to receive screw-threaded bolts 70, formed with forked ends to receive rollers to back up or support bearing-balls m, projecting into grooves n, formed in the plunger parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof. Suitable mechanism operated from the cab of the engine may be provided to raise the plungers when their use is to be dispensed with-for example, when the engine is traveling in the up direction of the down line.

As shown in Fig. l, I employ three visible signals 19 p 19 which respectively correspond to the signals or messages distance signal on, home signal on, line clear, and in addition I provide two bells or audible signals, one of themviz., p serving the douhis purpose of indicating distance signal on and home signal on, and the other bell or audible signal, 13 having a distinctive tone serving to indicate line clear. The said bells and indicators are mounted in the cab of the engine in a position to be easily observed by the driver and are included in the desired manner in separate electrical circuits each of which passes through a switch comprising terminals 8 s, Fig. 3, and a bridgepiece 15, which is normally held in the open position by a spring.

The rising of the plunger 6 in the casing a, as above described, brings the telescopic pusher w into contact with the spring-controlled bridge-piece t, thereby closing the circuit through the terminals 8 s to actuate the bell or other indicator.

As shown in Fig. 5, I arrange the strikingbars with relation to the track as follows, viz: one striking-bar 2 near each distant signal 3, a second bar 4 in front of each home signal 5, and a third bar 6 arranged as a continuation of the bar 4, the said bar 6 extending as far as the home signal.

In operation if the signals have been pulled down to line clear the signal-on striking-bars 2 and 4 are in the lower position and the indicating instrument in the cab remains unaffected by them, but will indicate line clear as each home signal 5 is passed. Now supposing the signalman has not received the line-clear signal from the next section ahead, the distant and home signals are set on, with their striking-bars 2 4 raised and the line-clear striking-bar 6 lowered. The engine-driver on passing the distant signal will now receive the message distant signal on and prepare to stop his engine. On reaching the home signal 5, if in the meantime this signal has been changed to line clear, the signal-on striking-bar 4 will be lowered and the line-clear striking-bar 6 will be raised, so that a corresponding indication will be made by the instrument in the cab; but if the line is blocked the home signal on will be given to the driver, who will then bring his engine to rest just in front of the home signal over the line-clear striking-bar. When the latter is raised, the corresponding indication will be made by the instrument in the cab and the driver will be free to proceed.

My improved apparatus will operate equally as well when the engine is at rest as when the engine is traveling at any speed of which it is capable.

I prefer to couple together the adjacent ends of the bars 4 and 6, above referred to, in such a manner as to insure that when one is raised the other must be depressed. This is accomplished by pivoting the adjacent ends of the two series to a swinging link y, (illustrated in Fig. 6,) besides which this connection serves to balance the bars so as to lessen the stress of the pull over for the signalman.

If desired, the duplicate signaling instrument can be placed in the guards-van, which instrument may be operated in a similar manner to that in the cab of the engine.

My improved system provides a complete and safe mode of signaling, while dispensing entirely with the use of detonators.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a section of railway-track, of home and distant semaphore-signals, three pivotally-mounted striking-bars having one end turned downwardly and arranged parallel to the track-rails at different distances laterally therefrom for working signals in the cab of the engine,connecting means between said signals and the strikingbars, said striking-bars being arranged one near the distant semaphore-signal, a second bar in front of the home semaphoresignal, and a third bar extending from the second bar to the home semaphore-signal, the second bar being lowered when the third bar is raised, and raised when the third bar is lowered, and means for raising and'lowering the first inclined bar by the distant semaphore-signal-actuating apparatus, and for actuating the second and third inclined bars by the home semaphore-signal-actuating apparatus, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a section of railway-track of home and distant semaphore-signals,three pivoted striking-bars having one end turned downwardly and arranged parallel to the track-rails at different distances laterally therefrom for working visible and audiblesignals in the cab of a locomotive, the first of said bars being arranged near the distant semaphore-signal, the second bar being in front of the home semaphore-signal, and the third bar extending from the second bar to the home I motive forming connections between the said semaphore-signal, means for raising the first inclined bars respectively and the said correbar when the distant semaphore-signal is sponding audible and visible signals, submoved to the on position and for lowering stantially as described.

it when the said signal is taken off, means for In testimony whereof I have hereunto set raising the second bar and lowering the third my hand in presence of two subscribing witbar when the home semaphore-signal is messes. moved to the on position and for lowering the second bar and raising the third bar when the said home signal is taken off, audible and visible signals in the cab of the locomotive, and three sliding plungers on the loco- HENRY J. JEFCOATE.

Witnesses:

R0131. R. EDLESTON, W. J. IIURSTFIELD. 

